I use the grill in my oven a lot. Result: a really mucky oven! Unfortunately, I’m just not cut out for the industrial-strength cooker cleaning products that you can get from the supermarkets. I try my best: I open the back door, I open the windows and I hold my breath when I spray. But the stuff gets in my eyes and stings, burns my throat, and gets in my lungs and makes me cough. It’s not easy, being a delicate English rose!

So I’ve been trying a gentler solution, which has been working quite well. It’s eco-friendly and lung-friendly – and it’s super-cheap, too.

I’m boiling up a pint of water, then adding two tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda. When this is cooled, I’m decanting it into an empty spray bottle. After I’ve taken food out of the cooker, I spray the inside door with the mixture and wipe it over with a cloth. When the mixtre has dried, I wipe the door with another cloth. The cooked-on brown grease stains come off right away!

I see you mentioned dirty old cooker cleaners. I do not personally recommend them, but nowadays there are products that are more powerful than the old lung killing sprays. You can buy potasium hydroxide which is similar to caustic but doesnt smell. Its still nasty old stuff, but if you want a nice clean oven with little effort this is the way to go. Lakeland supplies sell a nice little bottle for around 8 pound which comes with a little brush. Leave on over night…………….. Clean oven.

meet miss thrifty

Miss Thrifty is a woman on a mission. She lives in Greater Manchester, UK, and never pays full price for anything. Spend less, live within your means and get out of debt - without resorting to recycling teabags. Read more >